The Rogers Neighborhood

Holidays 2010

2011-01-09T22:23:00.001-08:00

Lets see...it has been a while since we did any updating so here is a quick look back at the holidays of 2010. Christmas we spent with Jon and his family. We all went to a cabin 4 days before Christmas and had fun playing games and playing in the snow. The cabin was near Mt. Rainier so we made a few trips up to the snow. We returned to his parents house for Christmas Eve and then woke up to a wonderful Christmas morning of presents and family. (Dec 2010) From left to right: Katelynn, James, Lauren, and Auntie Bri. This was at the base of Mt. Rainier where we went sledding. (Dec 2010)

Getting dinner ready! Thanksgiving at Steve and Carole's house. Lots of fun. Lots of food! (Nov 2010)

Family photo overlooking the Columbia Gorge. It was cold that day, very cold. (Oct 2010)

Lauren and Katelynn at the Puyallup State Fair. (Sep 2010)

2010-05-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

We took a little family trip to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia Gorge last Saturday (May 15th). It was a great weekend and we had to get out in the sunshine. The girls didn't get much of a nap that day...you can see it on their faces. The falls was just beautiful and worth the drive to see it. Jon and his little girls :) He is a good daddy!

Smile! ...or not...

Our Day at the Zoo

2010-04-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Once a month the Portland Zoo does a $2 Tuesday so we thought we would brave the rain and go see the animals last Tuesday (April 13th). It was worth it! A lot of the animals were out because the weather was cooler and we got to see sea otters, sea lions, polar bears, lions, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, hippos, elephants, and some exotic birds in the huge aviary.

Usually on $2 Tuesday the zoo is packed because schools take bus loads of kids for field trips and it really is a "zoo" trying to get around and see all the animals. Because it was slightly raining the day we went (it cleared up later), the crowds were few in number so we had a wonderful time. We were there when the gates opened at 9am and stayed long enough for the sun to come out and warm up around 12:30 and then we headed home for a late lunch.

There is a new exhibit for Africa and it includes Lions, it is really cool!

Katelynn sitting on one of the bronze statues in front of the Lion exhibit.

This picture was toward the early afternoon and the lions were sunbathing after the rain showers that morning. Look at the mane on the male and the beautiful coat on them both. Amazing!

This is toward the end of our zoo trip so the kids are a little worn out and ready to head back to the house for a nice lunch and nap time. You can see it written all over Katelynn's face :(

I thought this picture was striking with the white and black against the green of the grass. Beautiful animals!

Video of Lauren looking at the sea lions. It was so fun to watch her watching these big animals swim around and around. They would swim next to the glass and circle around in a loop, so I took her and we stood right in front of where it would rub against the glass. We could see it so well you could reach out and almost feel its nose, whiskers, belly, and flippers. They are big animals! It was really cool.

~{ UPDATES }~

2010-04-05T13:49:00.001-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that we have been neglecting our blog...lets just say we took a 3 month vacation...but rest assured there is plenty to catch you all up on...so, look for updates coming soon...here are some teasers...

Sarah celebrating her 30th birthday with some free ice cream and friends at Red Robin on a "Girls Night Out" {February 2010}

Lauren the Jell-o monster...

We had some nice weather a few weeks ago and here is Lauren playing outside at a neighbors house {March 2010}

Katelynn turning 4...going on 14!! {Febryary 2010~ the date stamp from our camera was off . It really was taken this year.}

Jon is busy at work so I don't often get him in the pictures...I'll try a little harder.

From our Family to Yours.

2009-12-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We want to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

We hope you have a fun, safe, and joyful Christmas with your loved ones.

Love The Rogers Family

Jon, Sarah, Katelynn, & Lauren

~{Happy Holidays}~

2009-12-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time to spend with family. We went to Jon's grandparent's house in Haines, Oregon and met up with other family there to celebrate and have a wonderful Turkey Day. The food and company were both wonderful, what more could we ask for :) Kathy, Jon's mom, pointed out something ...why does it take hours to prepare such a wonderful meal but only minutes to eat it?

With Thanksgiving out the back door and Christmas coming in the front, it is now officially "legal" to listen to Christmas music. Although, I have to confess I started a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I even used it for my workout music a few times :) I love the feeling of the holiday season and the happiness that everyone else seems to feel too! We are having sort of a "homemade" Christmas this year which will be nice because it's not really the amount of money that was spent on the presents that counts, but the love and effort that went into making each other happy.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Love

Jon, Sarah, Katelynn, and Lauren

Kids!

2009-11-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

I told Katelynn we were going to go swimming at the YMCA today and this is what came marching down the stairs and announced "I'm ready to go MOM!"

If you can't tell, those are brown snow boots (from two years ago...just a little small) with furry trim on the top and fuzzy little pom-poms. The other key thing here is that her suit is on backwards. That's right! We are in the middle of November and she wants to walk over to the YMCA, which is next door, in her swimming suit and snow boots. A girl after my own heart!

Waves on a Beach

2009-11-11T22:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days or weeks where you have feelings of gratefulness wash over you like waves on a beach. They keep coming, one after another, calm and peaceful and even strong and more direct at times. I have been experiencing those waves lately...or maybe it is that I am recognizing that they are there, calm and refreshing. I don't think these thoughts of thanks are Thanksgiving induced...although not a bad idea.

The most frequent thought I found myself having is my thankfulness for a healthy body. The more I take care of it, the more I realize how wonderful it is to feel good, healthy and active. And it seems the more proactive I become in taking care of "me", the more aware and sensitive my inner spirit is to what my needs are and the needs of those around me are, which in turn motivates me to continue to be healthy.

It just feels great to be healthy!

~Sarah

Halloween Birthday Girl

2009-11-08T20:31:00.001-08:00

Lauren turned 1 on Halloween and here are some pictures from her first birthday. We wanted to be near family so we spent the weekend at Jon's parent's house near Seattle,WA. We got to celebrate Lauren's birthday and Katelynn's first real Trick-or-treating.

I made two cakes, a chocolate covered cake just for her to get into...the chocolate frosting for the MESSY factor, and I made another two layer cake just to try my hand at making "fancy" cakes...It was a lot of hard work! But it turned out cute and worth my time :)
This is a little book Lauren absolutely LOVES. We saw it at a US Born Book party. There is a little mouse that you slip through the slots in each page to follow the cute little story about the "Mouse in the House". She squeaks and squawks when you read it to her because she likes to see the mouse pop up in the next page :)
Cute little dress from Grandma Rogers.

Lauren's little Ladybug cake.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY LAUREN :)

Look for Trick-or-Treating pictures in next post

Two new family pictures!!

2009-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

Check out the two new pictures just below of our little family of 4. We took some similiar pictures in the same spot almost a year ago. Sarah was still pregnant and Katelynn was 2 years old, my what a year can do!!!!

My Little Family

2009-09-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

My little family

Above pictures taken Oct. 10 at a park

along the Columbia River,

Washington side.

Pictures taken September 26, 2009

The leaves are starting to crunch and the air is a little brisk in the morning...fall is here! I'm excited about warm apple crisp, snuggling up in a cozy blanket to watch movies, hot chocolate (herbal tea is more my style), PUMPKIN PIE, and sleeping with socks on :)

Lauren will be turning 1 on Halloween...I can't believe that a year has gone by so quick!

Here is a video of our little "Lou" from today.

HAPPY HARVEST!

Pictures of Lauren

2009-09-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here's some up to date pictures of our little's one, Lauren that so many have been wanting to see--Grandma especially!! So loves that thumb so much. I tryed and tryed to keep that thing out of her mouth but no good. Enjoy!!

2009-09-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Katelynn is our little jumper. She just wanted to jump and jump so Sarah strapped two pillows on her with her belt and Katelynn went wild.

On Memorial Day we went down to a lookout point that over looks the Columbia River Gorge. The building is called "Vista House" and was built in the very ealy 1900's. We are on the Oregon side of the river, the other side is Washington.

These are my girls! Lauren loves that thumb and is almost a year old!! Halloween is the big day!!

Family Hike

2009-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our little crew took a Saturday afternoon hike to a beautiful place called Bridal Veil Falls located in the Columbia Gorge just outside Portland. We picked this hike because it is only a mile and just right for little legs (i.e. Katelynn) to make it without having to be carried. The woods were beautiful and it was a sunny warm afternoon...ahh, summer :)

I saw these tree leaves glowing from the sunlight shining through them.

It was cooler in person :)
Katelynn sitting on the observation deck by the falls. She is such a sweetie!

Jon packed Lauren and she loved being out side. She is 9 months and doesn't have much hair. She has been called a boy several times despite being dressed in pink...
(Jon was quite the pack horse, pretty handsome and muscly)

Katelynn and I at the top of the hike looking at the falls.

It was a pretty place to spend our Saturday. We are looking forward to other hikes this summer.

We have found various other places to make our weekend trips to around our area and it has been very rewarding. Just this last Saturday we found a really nice paved path through a dried stream bed or gully and took our kids for a stroll, Katelynn's favorite part were the ducks we saw swimming in a pond by the path.

So far this summer has been treating us wonderfully:)

More family adventures to come soon!

All Dolled Up!

2009-07-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show you all what I made this weekend. Teryn, a friend of mine has a little girl Katelynn's age (Claira) and she has made lots of fun little outfits like this for her, she let me borrow one of the little dresses/cover-up to make one for Katelynn and this is how the first attempt turned out.

Katelynn blowing kisses.

Lots of fun...and a cute little girl!!

This was easy to make and just right for the hot weather we have been having. I also made this little skirt for a birthday gift for for Claira because we missed her birthday back in June. I have other projects in the works so stay tuned :)
Those skirts and dresses aren't as cute as this little face, Katelynn {Kiddo} and I had fun "playing" in my make-up... what a darling.

Awesome video of Christ

2009-06-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

I just happened to find this on youtube the other day. This is my favorite hymn, I've always only liked it with a full choir and orchestra because it delivers so much more power but I really like this version and the pictures are amazing! They are all photos taken, you can go to reflectionsofchrist.org to learn more and see some behind the scenes stuff, they show how they took the picture of the angels. You can even buy the pictures. So watch the video and enjoy but get ready to feel the spirit, I'm just telling you. My favorite picture is the picture of Christ in white at about 4 mins. What do you think has anyone seen these pictures before? I guess they do traveling exhibits.

~{ Summer Time is Here }~

2009-06-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and we have had wonderful weather here in Vancouver the past two weeks. The zoo does a Two Dollar Tuesday once a month where adults get in for only $2.00, so we took advantage of the fine weather and went with some other friends only to find that everybody else thought it was a good day to go to see the animals too~ so it was literally a "zoo"! Because there were so many people we had to park a few miles away and take a shuttle bus back to the front gates and then wait in a long line. I know, a little crazy but Katelynn loved the bus ride and we got to see a tiger, giraffe, penguins, polar bear, elephants, and a bald eagle with an eight foot wing span!It was loads of fun but we were ready to head home after a few hours.

The zoo was just the kick off to the summer. Katelynn is now taking swimming lessons and doing good, she had one day where she didn't want to get into the water but the next was better and now she loves playing in the water.

Katelyn is just a cutie!!

Here are some pictures taken on Father's Day. What a hunk of a man I have :) He has been working out a lot and getting big muscles...I'm not complaining.

These are my two little darlings. Katelynn is almost three and a half although she acts like a four year old and is a "little mama" to Lauren and keeps her out of stuff.

"Lou Bug" as we call her, is almost eight months old, has four teeth and is all over the place. Her favorite thing is to pull herself up to a standing position and is now learning to travel around things while standing. Yeah, I'm in trouble. She has teeth and is almost walking at only eight months. Ahhhhhhh....

Robinson Crusoe and New Card for 2S4Y

2009-05-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

After some long stressful months of having my honey jobless, it is about time for me to get back to some normal things in life such as creating beautiful cards and reading good books. Thankfully Jon got a job a few weeks ago and little by little the stress is unwinding. I am finding a renewed thankfulness for what I have and what I continue to be blessed with. I am reading "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe and enjoying it very much and there is something about the character of the shipwrecked "Robin" ~ that's what he calls himself ~ that changes as he spends years and years in solitude not knowing what lies ahead for him. He comes to appreciate what he has and recognize the mercies from a higher power that had spared his life and provided for his basic needs. I'm in the middle of the book and have still to find out how it all ends.

I bring up my reading adventure because while Jon was jobless we didn't know how long it would be until we were rescued from our struggles. The past few months have shown me that when I am thankful, truly thankful for what I have, no matter how difficult my situation, the more I am able to see the bigger picture and realize just how blessed I am, even in hard times.

Now that I can enjoy some "me" time, I started making cards again. This card is for Laura's sketch #26

This was fun to make. Hope you enjoy!!

Ok, Ok here are the much wanted pictures!!

2009-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

This was a funny site. She loves to play with her wipes, she likes the crunchy sound the plastic makes and they were just outside her reach and really wanted them so she tried reaching out her hand.

She's only just turned 6 months and this is already starting! She likes to work out like her Daddy.
Please pardon the gratuitous nudity but it's just too cute. She is so close to crawling and she hasn't yet even mastered sitting up.

We went to Chuck E Cheese. We got some gift cards from my sister and brother-in-law and Katelynn loved it. She rode the rides and played the games and got a lot of tickets for some really cheap stuff that she no longer plays with. We went twice and she had fun, except for the time she got lost in the crawling tubes and couldn't find the way out. All of a sudden I look up at the tubes to see her bawling and scared. It is so loud in there that she couldn't her me telling her where to go. When she got out she never wanted to go back in those again!

This is at Vancouver Lake. It's a pretty big lake outside the west side of Vancouver. Katelynn enjoyed digging in the sand with her sticks and was having fun until she went to the bathroom right there on the beach. That was the end of the lake trip! We were only there for maybe a half hour. Oh well now we know where it is and we'll go back again, next time we'll bring a change of underwear though.

Back Again :)

2009-05-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

We have taken a little break from our family blog because of life but now that we seem to have a few things under control, we are back at it again.

Most of you know from our previous posts about Jon's unemployment. We have had some really hard and amazing past three months but it is nice to say that it has all come to an end. HE GOT A JOB!!! He is working for Intelitech Group as an associate business analyst and has a great opportunity to grow and learn a lot of skills that will help him in future jobs. I was also just hired and work for CDM Services as a caregiver to elderly and disabled people in their homes and I am enjoying that.

It was a rough time while Jon didn't have a job but we were spiritually strengthened in ways I can't even describe, we were blessed in our finances and were able to pay all our bills and still had enough for all of our needs. Heavenly Father has been watching over us and we feel this is where He wants us to be reght now so I guess we will be staying in Vancouver for a while. Summers here are nice :) and I am looking forward to that!

We are all happy and healthy, Lauren just turned 6 months and now has two teeth and is starting to crawl. Katelynn is a smart little 3 year old, her new favorite things are playing pretend (I usually get to be some fairy tale character and she gets to be the princess) and asking me how to say things in Spanish (she now wants to say her prayers at night in Spanish and it's pretty cute to hear her pronounce the words).

We love you all and are so thankful for your prayers in our behalf, we have felt your love and concern for us. We post more soon.

Love ya Sarah

2009-03-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

AMICA's looking really good!!

2009-03-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

So I am feeling really good about the possibilities of getting a job with AMICA, and I'll tell you why. Since my last update I had an interview with a manager and two supervisors in Seattle and that went really good! On the way to the interview I felt the spirit come over me very strongly and testifiy that "This was it", this was the job. Bytheway the job is an Associate Adjuster, Claims. It starts off paying really good and they even provide a relocation package and will pay to move us wherever we end up going, plus Iwill also get a company car I can use for anything.
So after I felt those feelings going to the interview I got really excited about the interview and it went great. There is only one more step, if they like me they fly me out to Rhode Island and do a day of interviews, after that I'll know. I should be hearing back about that any day.
I just spent the past three days in Seattle attending a Claims Conference that over 2000 people attended from all over the counrty from many different companies. It was really interesting and good for me to go. I ran into one of the supervisors I had an interview with and she was very positive about my chance in getting this job, again I felt the spirit strongly after talking to her telling me it was all going to work out.
Last week was a very different story. After my interview although I felt really good about it after a few days of not hearing back, fear and doubt took over. The whole week I was miserable. I have been rejected for many jobs before so I slipped into that mode. Late in the week I prayed one night to know if what I felt before the interview was real. After the pray I opened up the scriptures to D&C 63 where it talks about having faith and not asking for signs. Sarah then shared a scripture that she had just come across in D&C 6, "have I not spoke peace to your mind concerning the matter, what better witness have you than this?" I felt I was being told something. I really feel that Satan saw something good about to happen and was trying to destroy it with fear and doubt. Well that's not going to happen anymore! We have learned so much during all this. Our Heavenly Father really does have a plan for us and is waiting to bless us with what we need as long as we show the faith needed and are humble and trust in Him.

News about jobs

2009-03-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

So a few things have happened in the past few weeks some bad and some good. After having a really good phone interview with GIECO I was turned down for that position. But the recruiter said that I was definitely qualified for the job and that if it were up to him he would have hired me. That was really hard to hear that rejection after feeling so good about it but I was reminded that Heavenly Father's wisdom is infinite and that these events are not the mere productions of chance ( see Joseph Smith manual page 39 starting with the second paragraph, I received an impression to open up to this exact page and paragraph while praying one night, I was amazed to say the very least). So I got up and am continuing on this journey knowing that I am not alone in this and that things are happening the way they should be.
Then something good happened a few days later. I heard back from a company, AMICA Insurance. The recruiter set up a phone interview with me but I had the thought I should ask about there being a time difference between us but did not. I called for our interview at the time setup and nothing, nobody answered. I left messages and called back the next day, nothing. After the weekend I called again and found out she was out of the office till Thursday but if I needed to get a hold of someone to call this other person, so I did and got another interview set up with her. Come to find out they are in Rhode Island and I was not told or I did not follow the impression I had to ask about the time difference. Lesson learned!
The interview went well and I just heard back from her yesterday and they are moving me to the next step in the hiring process. Also I have been invited to attend a three day insurance claims conference in Seattle in two weeks. This is pretty awesome. They are asked to bring 4 college students to the conference and asked if I would want to go. Usually they only bring current students but they want to bring me!! Plus I went to a career fair a few days ago in Seattle and have an interview next Tuesday with EFinancial in Bellevue, Wa. Things are happening but slowly. So slowly that if I get the job with AMICA I wouldn't start till September! But nonetheless we are being blessed and watched over. Lesson learned!

Hi!!

2009-03-06T09:27:00.001-08:00

Well it's been a long time since we've posted anything and now that we are all back together again I thought I'd post something.

Sarah and the girls were gone to Rexburg for a couple weeks while I stayed home looking for a job. Katelynn had her third birthday party while there with her cousin James. he had lots of fun and got some more princess stuff.

Her she is with her cheerleder outfit on with a scarf, purse and princess shoes. She also got a to-to and cell phones. She had a great time and is such a little girl!

Here is a video of Katelynn making Luaren laugh. This is the first time that she has really laughed, we've heard her giggle only a little but this was new.

Katelynn as a princess and other exciting news

2009-02-12T12:25:00.001-08:00

Last night some friends from our ward came over, the Houston's, they have a boy named Ben who is Katelynn's age. They are the best of friends, almost "too" good of friends sometimes. Friday we are leaving for Rexburg so Sarah can get some dental work done and Katelynn and Sarah will be out of town for their birthdays so the Houston's came bearing gifts. As you can see from the above picture Katelynn got some "princess stuff" as she says. She loves it!!! She woke up this morning and came into our room and said, "Mommy come get my princess stuff, I need my princess stuff" the crown lights up so whenever she turns it on she runs into the kitchen with it on her head to look into a small mirror we have on the refrigerator to see it blink. All she needs now are some little shoes and a dress, oh my she would love them!! She is such a little girl.

Also some more good news about my job search. This morning I added two more interviews. Both next week, one with Country Financial (in Vancouver) next Thursday and another with New England Financial (in Portland) next Friday. They both called this morning about 5 minutes apart from each other.

Exciting News!!!!

2009-02-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I've got some, yep you guess it--exciting news!! Today two things happened. First this morning I got a call from Gieco Insurance who I applied to about a week and a half ago. The guy talked to me about the position, Auto Claims Adjuster that I applied for in Seattle. He asked if I would be able to attend 12 weeks of training, he then said it consists of 2 months in San Diego and a month out in Virginia, Whoa! I said let's go for it. It will be all paid for but that is a lot of time away from my family. Training starts in March and goes till the end of June. After talking with me he set up a time I could take an online test, I took that test and he said I passed and that he wanted to do a phone interview. So I have an interview Friday morning!! After I talked to him this morning I went to the "networking" lunch where I met with someone who works at Country Financial about an agent job there, we talked a little about the position and he took my resume and said he would give it to the person that does the interviews. That sounds good but Gieco actually sounds better. So things are starting to happen!!
Also something else cool. When I was at this lunch a lady who works at a local dentist office which has multiple offices in the area and just happens to be owned and operated by dentists that are members of the church made a cool announcement. The company she works for is offering free services this Friday only. It is there way to help others in need, especially those with no insurance, such as us at the moment they're wanting to do at least $75000 in free services. They will be doing free exams, ex rays, cleaning, and fillings all for free. So I made an appointment. Sarah is actually heading down to Rexburg to get a crown put on by a dentist down there that is the family dentist to some of our family down there for only $600, this price is amazingly low. We have been so blessed during this time of me not having a job. I just filed our tax returns and we will be getting a huge amount back, twice the amount we got back last year!! Heavenly Father is really looking after us and blessing us. More exciting news to come, I'm sure of it!!

News on Jon's job search

2009-02-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

So first off, I don't have one yet. But I do have a few possibilities coming. A member of my ward came to me last week at church after hearing that I was looking for a job and that I was interested in the insurance industry, he told me that he knew of someone who was looking for an insurance agent, we didn't have any time to talk about it then so he said to call him for more detials, I did and wasn't able to get a hold of him, he called back and I missed his call. So I talked to him at Church again and he said he had arranged lunch on Tuesday with this guy so I could go and meet him along with him and wanted to know if I would be able to be there. The company name is Country Financial and the position would be a Financial Planner/Advisor. It sounds pretty good from what I've seen on their website so we'll see how lunch goes, we're going to Azteca. This will be my first "business lunch." The other possibilities are still in the insurance field, one as a claims adjuster in Texas with USAA the other is a similar position to Country Financial but with New York Life. USAA has progressed to start a background check on me which is good, I was contacted by a New York Life Recruiter last week to do a questionnaire after applying, and that someone here in Vancouver would be getting a hold of me. So things are moving, hopefully this will be the week that all begins to or is figured out. For all of you praying for us and thinking about us we greatly appreciate it, even though we have felt this was all part of the plan and feel like we are going the right way it still hasn't been the easiest but I remember before Sarah and I were married she said that after the biggest trails come the greatest blessings and all we have to say is this great blessing that is coming must be gianormous!!!

{Playing with Paper}

2009-02-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is my card for Kazan's Sketch #19
I had the color ideas in my head and this is what came out of it.

Little kiddo pictures

2009-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures of our kiddo's. Luaren is now three months old (Oct. 31). She has been a really good baby, she really doesn't cry that much and she sleeps really good at night. She'll go down around 10:30 or 11pm and wake up to eat maybe once or twice but she will go right back to sleep. She is lots of fun but she's been starting a bad habit!!She has found her fists and loves shoving them into her mouth. She also just found her thumb and has been trying to get away with sucking it but her daddy says no way!!

Luaren loves to smile and she has the cutest little smile. All you've got to do is smile at her and she will smile back, we've even heard little laughs starting.

Two little dancing stars

2009-02-01T10:15:00.002-08:00

These two videos were taken over Christmas and they are just so funny we just watch them over and over again. This is Katelynn with her cousin James.

Our biggest test of faith yet!!! aka. update on jon's job search

2009-01-31T16:09:00.001-08:00

Our faith is being put to the test. After quiting my job about a week and a half ago while having 3 job interviews lined up I found out that those "ENTRY LEVEL MARKETING" jobs were bogus! They were misleading in their descriptions and they turned out to be door to door sales, all day long with only a tiny percent of commission. I found many sites on line of people citing these companies as rip offs and scams. Sarah and I were devastated. I had just quit my job and now we had no possible job leads and very little money. Quit honestly we were sick. I asked my dad for a Priesthood blessing and I was told that all will work out, to have patience, be faithful and to be positive. We then went to the Temple and felt a reassurance that we had indeed done the right thing in me quitting my job and that we are being lead somewhere and I needed to quit my job for that to happen. It has been a week and half and still no interviews but things are looking up.
Stress and worry has been apart of our home this past week even after all the assurance, it's still scary running out of money with a family of four and no prospects. I gave Sarah a blessing the other night and she was told that this would all be over very soon.
One issue I have had in the job search is not having any straight career path I wanted to go into. I have been applying to all sorts of jobs with no real direction. All that changed after I went to a career workshop at our Stake Center last night. We were working on finding a career industry that we wanted to pursue then finding a job listed in the back of the book under that industry. I picked management and listed under that in the back of the book was an Insurance claims investigator. I have an investigative nature and really enjoy serving and helping others. I STRONGLY believe that this was NO coincidence that this job was listed under management and that I came across it. I now have a path and direction into a career I can get into. Today I have applied for at least 10 jobs in this field, all requiring skills I have!
Our Father in Heaven is mindful of us and puts tests in our lives to see how faithful we are and if we will rely on Him. I know that we will be OK and that all will work out.

Just so much FUN!

2009-01-28T00:24:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I am a craft store junkie!! The worst kind. Sometimes I go to Joann's or Michael's just to look at all the fun stuff they have and to get ideas and see what is on sale, even if it is nap time and I have two cranky kids with me. I find that Katelynn, my almost 3 year old, has gotten so use to leaving the house before lunch...that's when I get my craft store fix, that when she sees me putting on my jacket or shoes she asks where we are going, even if I am just headed out to the trash she thinks we are going shopping. A few weeks ago she asked if we were going to "Joann's", like it is a persons house.

Well, with all of my trips, I have picked up some goodies and now I am getting a chance to use them and see my ideas blossom onto or should I say out of paper. I mentioned a few posts ago that my friend and old roommate Melissa got me hooked on a new web-site http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/ where they have weekly challenges. Well, if you like crafty stuff you should check it out.

Here is my card for Laura's sketch #18, hope you like.

BIG Sisters and Stickers

2009-01-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

For those of you with older siblings, you will totally understand this video clip of my two girls. Here is a little background on the story so you don't wonder why little Lauren is just lying there on the floor. I was getting my day going and doing things around the house like laundry (you can hear the washing machine in the background), dishes, and making my bed. Well, Lauren was getting fussy so I was doing most of this while holding her but when it got to making the bed that was a little hard one handed. She had fallen asleep while I was holding her and I had to put her down somewhere because I couldn't make the bed with just one hand but I also couldn't lay her down on the bed because I was going to be pulling and tugging on all of the sheets so the next best place was on the floor next to the bed. That is where this little adventure all began...

For those of you who are the older sibling I'm sure this brought back memories...yeah you know who you are...picking on your little brothers and sisters. Well, as you all know, the picked on one usually gets you back sooner or later.

(P.S. you have to pause the music on our blog to hear the video clearly)

Another Fun Card

2009-01-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

Here is another card I did for sketch #18 but I only enterd one in the contest for last week. I love the "little people" and have found lots of creative ways to use them in my projects!

Fun New Card

2009-01-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

So, one of my friends got me started on this web-site http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/ that is really cool. They do weekly contests and I thougth I would give it a try. Here is my card for

#18 sketch ~Sarah Jane

Another update about Jon's job search

2009-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

I have some very exciting news! Although I don't have a new job yet, within the past two days I have set up three interviews!!!! I have two on Friday in the Seattle area, one of which is just around the corner from the Seattle Temple and one the following Tuesday again up in the Seattle area. These are entry-level Marketing and Advertising jobs that require no experience just the right personality. We are really excited. To get to these interviews you might think that I would take time off from the job I currently have, well think again I am quitting tomorrow (Jan. 21)!! The company I work for, Terminix Pest Control from what I've heard doesn't give you your two weeks when you give them notice, they just have you quit then. so I'll be letting them know tomorrow and then I can devote all my time to finding a new job. It hasn't been easy to set up interviews while having a job, I've had a couple interviews I have had to cancel because I wasn't able to make it to them because of work.
Yesterday after a lot of thinking and prayers and even a blessing from our neighbor, Sarah and I decided this was the right step to take, even though I don't have a secure job to move into yet. We both have felt that even though it is scary to quit a job and all the possible implications from that monetarily, we are supposed to take this leaf of faith and that things will all work out. If we didn't have the gospel I think we would be a mess. We have felt that Heavenly Father is guiding us and that it is our time to step into the darkness having faith that He will be there and lead us to safety.
We love you all and thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Look forward to hopefully the final "update on Jon's job search" early next week.

Update on Jon's job search

2009-01-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

So since graduating from WSU in December I have applied for a good, I'd say at least 20 jobs if not more. I have only heard back from three. One is a job in Pittsburgh, PA. Yeah I'm serious. It is with a marketing and advertising company offering entry-level positions with training. I applied for it cuz I thought, why not? I got a call about it, they want to meet with me but we are trying to figure out how that would work. It doesn't pay to much so we are having to decide if it is worth uprooting our family to go across the country, leaving all our family behind for a potentially low paying job. We'll see what happens. The other two are Financial Advisor positions one with Edward Jones and another company. I'm pretty interested in Finanical Planning so we'll see what happens there I have a phone interview on Monday (19th). I have just recently applied for a bunch of Marketing entry level positions in San Diego with a few different companies. So a lot of applying and waiting. I can not wait to start a new job and move on from my current job.

Give me your thoughts :)

2009-01-04T22:09:00.003-08:00

SO, for all those people out there who check our blog and like paper crafting I want to know what you think. I am a novice card maker but hoping to aspire to more so I am posting some pictures of a few cards I have made in hopes you will give me your feed back. Some of them are not completely finished yet but the ideas are there. If you have anything to say...such as if you like/don't like them or would change the layout of the card or any other thoughts, send them my way.

This one is not complete, it needs a lot more embellishing or something...but it is suppose to be a birthday card.Valentines is just around the corner and I am getting a jump start on the holiday. I like the concept of the "Love Monkey" but Jon tells me the colors are not quite right, what would you do differently?This is one of the first ones I put together and I like it as a prototype and will probably stick with this idea...maybe tweak it a little.

This is a baby card, I realize after that you can't tell if it is for a boy or girl because it has both pink and blue, I have yet to put the lettering on it but it will say something like "Baby" or "Congrats" or "Girl".

This is the latest one I have done and personally my favorite...okay, I admit I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning putting this together...hey, when you have kids...the only peace and quiet I get to my self usually happens at that time of the morning. The colors on this card are a pale lime green and a light faded gray which are really complimentary. What girl doesn't like shopping for shoes ?!

This is a large tag with a background of light pink and the frog is a faded green with pink spots and a pink tummy. Cute and simple (sorry, I don't know how to rotate the picture)

Thanks for your comments in advance

~Sarah

Family Pictures

2009-01-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

When we spend the holidays with my family we all get family pictures. This is ours, enjoy!!
We also had a picture taken of Katelynn and James her cousin who lives in Rexburg, they're pretty cute together.

These last two were taken on the day I was suppossed to walk in graduation in Pullman wa , we weren;t able to get there because of the weather so along with some graduation pictures we took a few family pictures.

2009-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pictures of Christmas. Katelynn has a cousin 10 days younger than her, James and they had the best time playing together. They didn't quite understand Santa yet but they still enjoyed opening all the presents.

Oh and how grandma loved spending time with her newest granddaughter, our Lauren. She is really growing fast. She's just now starting to talk a little more and make funny sounds and smile.Here's Sarah and Katelynn sliding down the driveway This year we spent Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Rogers in Puyallup Wa were we obviously had a white Christmas. Katelynn went up a few days early with my sister and brother-in-law and their little guy James to spend a few more days playing together and to give mom and dad a little break, boy it was nice but it didn't take long for us to miss her. After we opened presents we went sleding at a nearby subdivision that has'nt been built up yet and went down a big hill with a jump made at the bottom. I took Katelynn down on her first ride and being Daddy I wanted to go really fast so I pushed off hard and as we got going we tipped over and Katelynn did a faceplant in the snow and really scratched up her nose and cheek, there was even a little blood. Needless to say she didn't really want to go down after that.

Christmas was great and we all enjoyed spending time with family. Christ gave the greatest gifts of all, those that come from the Atonement, what else do we need?!

2009 is going to be another adventurous and great year for us. I'm all done with school and am now finding the perfect career, who knows were it will lead us, we have two growing, super cute kiddo's and my sister is expecting their second kid.

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

I got this in an email from a friend and thought I would pass this on:

Twas the month before Christmas When all through our land, Not a Christian was praying Nor taking a stand. See the PC Police had taken away, The reason for Christmas - no one could say. The children were told by their schools not to sing, About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things. It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say December 25th is just a " Holiday ". Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it! CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod Something was changing, something quite odd. As Targets were hanging their trees upside down At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found. At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears. Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty Are words that were used to intimidate me. At the top of the agenda, there arose such a clatter To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter. And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace. The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded The reason for the season, stopped before it started. So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree" Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me. Choose your words carefully, choose what you say Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday ! * * * DO NOT BE ASHAMED TO PASS THIS ON !!!!!

I"M DONE!!!!! Finally

2008-12-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

I Graduated from college!!!!!!!!!! After many years and many frustrations and setbacks I am finally done. I have a bachelors degree in Social Sciences. Graduation was Dec. 13 and we were going to go to Pullman, WSU's main campus so I could walk but the weather was really bad in Pullman and the surrounding region so we were not able to go. That was very frustrating but we went up to my parents house and had our own little celebration. Now I'm on the hunt for a new job.

Dandelions in December

2008-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

You know you live in Washington State when moss grows on the sidewalks and your daughter finds dandelions in December! Katelynn and I went to Jon's school and as we were walking across the still very green lawn she said "hey mom there's a flower" and what do you know...there was more than one. Anyways, the point of this is for someone who grew up in Idaho where it has been know to snow on the 4th of July, flowers and green grass in December are just unheard of. If you look close enough at the pictures you will see a little yellow on Katelynn's nose from smelling the dandelion.

Just another fun day in the life of Katelynn and her momma~

Trimming the Tree!!

2008-11-29T15:58:00.001-08:00

Before Katelynn went down for her nap I told her that when she wakes up we are going to decorate for Christmas and she got excited, I then said we were going to put up the tree and she got excited, I told her she could help and she got excited, I then told her that we were going to decorate the hoouse and that she could help and she got excited! When she came down stairs after her nap I had the tree out (fake, I know real is better) and boxes of decorations and she was of course so excited but we had to wait till Sarah got back, she had gone to get her hair cut.

She loved helping with the ormnaments and it didn't take any time for her to learn how to hook them on the tree and we got through the process with no broken bulbs!

For that finishing touch you know we had to have her put the star on. She was loving all the fun!

Thanks and Giving

2008-11-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
Isn't this a wonderful time of year?! It makes me appreciate what I have and realize I really do have a lot of blessings. These pictures show just two of the little blessings that Jon and I have received.

Katelynn's has just discovered how fun it is to brush my hair and wants to do it all the time
now.
The other night for family home evening we made turkeys out of construction paper and Katelynn was really getting into it. Glue was going everywhere!

When we pulled out all of the baby stuff for Lauren, Katelynn decided that she wasn't too big to fit in the car seat. Every once and a while she will climb into it and hide.

I sure love my little sweeties!
~Sarah

Sleepless nights and SUPER MOM

2008-11-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

So, Lauren has decided that her fussy time is between 10pm and 1am which means that just when Jon and I are headed to bed she is wide awake and usually crying. Jon has work early every morning so I am up with her until she settles down which by the time she is asleep makes for a really long day. Sometimes I feel like SUPER MOM, lots to do in a day and some how it gets done although I'm not quite sure how.

When I get ready in the mornings Katelynn is my little shadow. The other morning she snatched my lipstick off the counter and put some on before I knew what was happening...she is getting started at an early age. She is a two year old going on fourteen, I am in for it aren't I?!

And last but not least, my two sweeties side by side :) Katleynn is so proud to be a big sister, she tells everyone in the store, library, or wherever we are that she has a baby sister. It makes me happy to know that these two little sweeties are my kids.

~Sarah

Cutest bunnies in the world!

2008-11-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen such cute bunny slippers?! Of course the baby makes them so much cuter :)

I just happened to snap this photo at the right moment because she gave a little smile...even if it was in her sleep it is just perfect.

So far Jon has been the one posting everything but I have a few minutes and thought I should add my two cents...(30 min. later ) just kidding about having some time, two kids keep you busy...(another 30 min. later)...so, with the way things are going you might not hear from me too often, ha, ha!

Just want you to all know that I am so proud of my two little girls and my hubby. My kiddos are both darling and as for Jon, well he is just handsome. I really couldn't have made it through labor and delivery without him. The only thing that seemed to help through the contractions was to hold onto Jon's fingers and squeeze as hard as I could. It was the least I could do to let him know how I was feeling. A few times during delivery I told him it was his turn and time to switch places, that got a chuckle from the nurses. He said he would pass...really, I wish there was a way to give men just a little taste of what it feels like to have a baby, the pain and the joy.

I am glad Lauren got here safe, my biggest fear was go into labor while in the grocery store or somewhere out of the house with Katelynn. Every night I prayed that it would happen when Jon was at home and it did. It just so happens that two hours previous to going into labor, I was at the hospital taking a tour of the birthing center. I went home from the tour that was from 6-8pm and got in the shower and it all kicked in and before I knew it I was back at the hospital and in lots of pain! Four o'clock Halloween morning Lauren made her appearance. Amazing and painful all at once. My epidural wore off just as it was time to deliver and kicked in right after so there I was in agony and then it was all over and I couldn't move my legs...go figure.

Needless to say Halloween won't be the same anymore with birthday celebrations and such. Funny thing is that Katelynn was born the day before my birthday and now Lauren on Halloween, guess my memory is so bad that my kids had to be born on dates I wouldn't forget.

I am happy being a mom. The blessings are amazing! It has been just over a week since Lauren was born and already she is changing, I forgot how fast that happens. My mother-in-law, Kathy, came to help for a week and I couldn't have done it without her. I didn't get any sleep in the hospital and was exhausted when we came home, Kathy let me get the sleep I needed to start mending and getting back on my feet. She also helped out a lot with Katelynn who is trying to figure out what has just happened to her world. Grandmas are great for spoiling grandchildren :)

Well, until next time. Catch you later :) ~Sarah

The wait is over!

2008-11-08T22:34:00.001-08:00

Katelynn meeting her new sister

2008-11-01T12:09:00.001-07:00

Katelynn was so cute when she meet Lauren, she was so excited that finally baby Lauren was out of mommy's tummy, the first thing she wanted to do was hold her which she had been practicing.

Now a family of four. This is the new and updated version of the Rogers family 4.0. Taken about 12 hours after birth.

First ever pictures of Lauren Ashley Rogers

2008-10-31T13:23:00.001-07:00

Lauren has arrived!!!

2008-10-31T07:19:00.001-07:00

Lauren Ashley Rogers was born Oct. 31. She was 7lbs. 9oz. and 19 3/4" long. We got to the hospital last night Oct 30th at about 10pm and Sarah was all druged up and had her water broken and Lauren was born at 4am. Sarah and baby are doing great and I will be posting pictures here soon. Stay tuned.

Cute Katelynn video!!!

2008-10-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Fall pictures on the Columbia River waterfront

2008-10-25T17:37:00.001-07:00

Katelynn had been wanting to "go see the duckies" so last Saturday we went down to the Columbia river that seperates Washington and Oregon at Vancouver and Portland and played around in the cold. It got a little chilly. Katelynn loved it she saw her duckies and then proceeded to throw rocks at them! She loves to get out and play and run after her dad

New baby coming soon...hopefully!

2008-10-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

So Sarah is done!! That's what she says about being pregnant at least! She is due Nov. 9th but has been having preterm labor for about a month now. She went into the hospital the first time a month ago because she was having contractions every five minutes or so and they gave her a shot to stop them. Contractions have been a constant fixture of her daily life sometimes very painful. The doctors have said that it is just something she has to deal with, this is how her body works! I think after hearing that a few times she's ready to smack someone, preferably not me.

So we're waiting, for what anymore we're not sure since up till now the signs have all been pointing to labor but then, nope go home and just wait it out. Sarah thinks this little baby is going to be a gymnast or something with all the flips and kicks and elbows to the ribs she's been throwing around. Contractions are so much apart of everything now that I don't really take much notice to them anymore, Sarah doesn't much either. I'll come home and ask her if she's been having a lot of contractions and she'll say, "I don't know I probably have been but I haven't been paying attention, they're just going on all the time."

Katelynn we think is excited to have a new baby in the house even if she doesn't exactly know why she's in mommy's tummy or why she hurts mommy. She's been practicing how to hold her. The time time is coming and we are excited we'll keep you posted.

Some cute pictures of Katelynn

2008-10-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

When we were moving from Pullman to Vancouver Katelynn decided this was how she was going to travel. She was found wearing her boots and her daddy's hat and just a diaper!

These two pictures were taken over the summer in Vancouver, she is just a camera lover, probably becasue mom and dad have taken thousands of pictures of her!!

Back in the day-Summer of 2004!!

2008-10-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

All these pictures were when we were dating, and having been dating for only a few months.
Jon and Sarah in Seattle, I had to show her around, she had never been there before. Outside Pike Place Market.

At Jon's Grandparents house in Baker Oregon just riding in from playing out in there pasture.

Just us at Jon's Family Reunion. Really not doing a whole lot but lookin' good, huh?

Pictures at Snoqualmie Falls in Seattle.

Welcome to our neighborhood!!

2008-10-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Dec. 30th 2004-Idaho Falls Temple

Feb. 21st 2006-In the Hospital with Katelynn

Cute picture of Katelynn-Feb. 2006

Family picture-July 2006

Family picture-Dec. 2007